Always Here
by seireidoragon
Summary: An unexpected call from Ran leaves Conan devastated. Thankfully Heiji will always be there to get him back on his feet. Heishin. Rated T for suggestive themes later and cursing.
1. Those Who Wait

_**Hey I wrote this story a while ago and I've finally gotten around to typing it up. I hope you enjoy this and I welcome constructive criticism. Also I apologize if the characters seem OOC. I tried my best. Disclaimer: All characters belong to Gosho Aoyama. Don't sue me please for using them.**_

Chapter 1: Those Who Comfort

Everything started with a phone call. Hattori had come to visit Conan and they had gone out to try a new restaurant. Of course being two body magnets it wasn't long before they had run into a case. As they finished the case, Shinichi's phone had rung. Leaving Hattori to talk to the police he went off to a quiet area nearby. Pulling out his bowtie he adjusted the settings before answering.

"Hey Ran! What's up?" Conan noticed something had been bothering her recently. Hopefully she was willing to discuss it with Shinichi since she always changed the subject if he brought it up as Conan.

"Shinichi there's something I need to tell you." Her voice was quiet and subdued. It almost like she was afraid.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Where are you?"

He heard a sigh on the other end. "I'm dating Eisuke."

Conan blinked. "What?"

"I'm sure Conan already told you about Hondou Eisuke," she sounded exasperated, "and I enjoyed hanging out with him. I decided to ask him out about and week and a half ago and he said yes. I just can't keep waiting for you. I've waited long enough and I decided it's time for me to move on." She paused as she waited for his reaction. "I still want you to come home. I still consider you one of my best friends. It's just…I want someone who's actually around. Shinichi?"

Conan held himself back from doing what he wanted to do which happened to be begging her to reconsider but that wasn't fair to her and it wouldn't help him any. He'd pushed her too far and maybe it was for the best that they stay friends. That didn't stop him from wanting to scream at the moment. He needed to ask one vital question before he fully accepted her decision.

"Does he make you happy?"

"Yes. He's very kind and he treats me like I'm the most important person in the world. He's sweet and fun if a bit clumsy. I think I could easily fall in love with him."

Conan heard the giddiness in her voice and he let out a breath. Eisuke beat him. He had won Ran's heart and as long as she was happy then Conan could live with her decision. It would be painful to see them together and her conversations with Shinichi might be a little strained but he didn't want to lose her completely. So he would bow out gracefully.

"If he ever hurts you say the word and I can make sure no one ever finds the body." He was half-joking.

One of the drawbacks of having been friends for so long was that she could tell that he wasn't showing all of his feelings on the matter. She always could read him almost better than anyone. His parents and Hattori might be the best.

"I'm sorry. I just slowly started to realize that I had a crush on him. I still care about you a lot Shinichi and no one can ever replace you."

A pained smile crossed his face. He could see Hattori heading over. "I know and you have nothing to be sorry for Ran. In fact I should be sorry for making you wait for so long. Look I have to go now but I promise to call again soon."

Her response was unsure but the relief was unmistakable. "Alright then I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself Shinichi. Bye."

He hung up the phone without responding. No matter how brave he sounded on the phone, as soon as the conversation was over he felt a piercing pain in his chest. As Hattori approached Conan hid his eyes behind his bangs.

"Hey Kudo was that nee-chan? What did she want?"

"She stopped waiting for me." The words were whispered.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you what with you being so small now. Speak up." Heiji was grinning. Every now and then he just had to tease the twerp. Then Conan glanced up at him and all the air seemed to rush out of his lungs as he was physically hit. The raw pain in the teenager turned child's eyes was overwhelming and Heiji felt like it might drown him.

"What happened?!" Heiji hadn't told anyone but he'd realized a while ago that he was in love with the shrunken detective. He would do anything to keep bring a smile back to his male best friend's face.

"Ran called to say that she and Eisuke are dating now."

"Bastard! Let's find him and kick his ass for even going after Ran. That fucktard knows about what happened to you correct? How dare he do this to you! I'll teach him a lesson for stealing the girl from someone he calls a friend."

"It's fine."

"Of course it's not fine. We need to locate him a make sure he understands that…"

"STOP!" Conan was panting as he tried to keep control of himself. "It doesn't matter. She chose him. She made it clear that she wouldn't wait for me anymore. I can't really blame her either." That last part was spoken quietly with a bitter edge. "Why would she wait for me anyways? She doesn't need me and I would only bring trouble to her. I have to face the fact that I can never make her truly happy. I'm probably better off staying as Conan since everybody's moved on with their lives. Shinichi is quickly fading from their minds as my house becomes known as a haunted house. We're still far from bringing down the organization and I doubt I'll ever get my body back anyways. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just move to America with my parents and start over. I should just let go of Shinichi." He went quiet.

Heiji had listened with horror, realizing that his friend was serious. He was actually considering living as Edogawa Conan in America. He watched the teenager stare at the ground, the weight of the world having finally crushed the little sleuth's spirit. Slowly Heiji crouched down to be level with the top of the boy's head. Reaching out he gently brushed through the other's bangs before grabbing them and forcing his head up. He wanted Conan to face him eye to eye. The child in front of him, for that's what he truly was right now was a lost child in a big world, offered no resistance to the move. His eyes were glassed over and Heiji got the feeling that Conan wasn't seeing him right now. Well then Heiji would change that.

"Listen to me Kudo and really listen or I might have to hit you to knock some sense into you. Just because people have moved on with their lives doesn't mean they don't miss having you there with them. Everyone you know cares about you and wants you to come back even if they don't say as much. Did Ran say she never wanted to see you again?" This was a gamble but Heiji felt that Ran still wanted her childhood friend back even if she was fed up with waiting for the teen to ask her out. If not Heiji was ready to storm over and slap the stupid out of her.

"She wants me to come home because she still misses me. I also promised I would call her soon and she seemed relieved." Heiji cheered on the inside when he noticed life coming back into Conan's eyes. He smiled gently at the boy.

"Like I said, people still care. The world may not revolve around you but people notice when you aren't there. Besides," here Heiji paused but decided to continue, "I would miss you if you stayed as Conan."

Now Conan looked like a teacher having to explain a simple problem for the third time to a student who refused to pay attention. "Idiot, you know I'm really Shinichi so even if I stay this way we would still be friends. It's not like I would never speak to you again."

"No it wouldn't be the same." Heiji took note of the condescending look Conan was giving him and resolved himself. It was bound to come out eventually and it might help Shinichi even if just a little. Or it could forever wreck their friendship. Heiji steeled himself before staring directly into the detective's eyes. He then proceeded to blurt out what he thought he would never reveal. "I'm in love with you!" It didn't fully explain his reasons but he felt like his point across. Eyes widening, confusion clouded the boy's face causing his nose to scrunch up as he tried to process and decipher Heiji's words. Heiji would have found it adorable if he wasn't terrified of how the other detective would respond. He wanted to explain himself first. "The first time I heard of you was working on that case in the mountains. Some teenage brat kept beating me to all the clues and evidence and it annoyed me as much as it made me curious. When we crossed paths I decided you would be my rival. Later I started to hear about you exploits and how everyone compared us. Suddenly, you disappeared from the media and I grew worried. What was I to do without my rival? So I decided to investigate and came to the conclusion that you were nearby watching Ran but I couldn't understand why. Why hide? Then during the diplomat's murder case I thought I had you beat when you showed up and flipped everything around. I was amazed but something was wrong. You didn't appear to be fine and then you disappeared again. I was left with so many questions. You showed up and revealed the truth to a case I thought I'd solved and in turn opened my eyes to how much more growth I required if I wanted to call myself a detective. I focused so much on 'Shinichi' that I disregarded 'Conan' entirely. Another mistake. The Holmes tour seemed the perfect opportunity to meet with you again. Unfortunately, while Ran arrived you weren't with her. I hoped that you were waiting to show up last minute like before. A case popped up and I pushed you to the back of my mind so that I could focus on it. Maybe that's why I was able to notice Conan. Instead of the case I found myself focusing on the little boy who kept getting underfoot and acting like a professional. You were hiding something and I wanted to uncover the truth. Everything fit together when I woke up to myself solving the case without having spoken a word." Amusement colored Heiji's tone. "Your accent might have been terrible but the way you solved the case was reminiscent of a certain teenage detective who I met not long ago. I chose to confront you Kudo and found I had been right. I almost didn't believe you but the proof was before my eyes. It terrified me but I understood that you craved help and a friend even if you wouldn't admit it so I promised myself that I would do whatever I could. As we met more and more, solving cases left and right, we became close friends and I realized I was falling for you. Your strength and determination was stunning and you were strong in your beliefs. I also admired your intelligence but as I learned more about you it became easier to read you. I became amazed. You're much stronger than even I realized. You were suffering every day but you never stopped moving forward. There were moments you were overwhelmed but those around you helped you back up onto your feet. Self-sacrificing and kind, you took too much of the burden onto yourself so that others wouldn't suffer but you always moved forward. It was painful to watch but I was proud of you. You're an amazing human being and I've never known anyone similar to you. It wasn't much of a shock to find myself madly in love with you."

Conan quietly listened to everything Hattori had to say, letting the detective speak his mind. He didn't know what to think. Hattori was in love with him and it sounded like he's known for some time. How did Conan miss this? He watched as Hattori's eyes glazed over in memories. The proper teen's face fucking glowed as he talked about Shinichi, the object of his affection, and he had no doubt the Osakan detective had fallen in love with him. Conan felt himself blushing when Hattori confessed the second time.

Heiji noticed Conan's blush and moved before he really understood what he was doing. Leaning forward, Heiji lightly pressed his lips to the boy's forehead. Once his brain caught up with his body he quickly pulled away. "Sorry it's just your blush was so cute and I wanted to kiss you but it would leave a bad feeling to kiss a child, not to mention how others would view it, so I…yea, sorry." Heiji scratched his cheek with his free hand, a nervous tick, as a light blush stained his tan cheeks.

Conan's face burned as he tried not to put too much thought into what just happened. Opening his mouth for the first time since Hattori confessed, he spoke. "Oi Hattori can you let go now? It's uncomfortable."

"Oh sorry." Heiji pulled his hand away but stayed crouching. He would wait patiently for Kudo to react to his confession.

As far as Shinichi understood about himself, he's straight. Conan responded hesitantly. "I can't return those feelings right now. I haven't gotten the chance to even get over Ran yet and I don't want to use you as a rebound. You are one of my closest friends so maybe one day I could love you back but not today. Not for a while."

Heiji was speechless. The rejection he expected. The sort of subtle hint they would stay friends was also expected though doubt had plagued him. The admittance that one day that they might actually be able to be together; that blew him out of the water. Never in his wildest dreams would he allow himself to consider it, afraid that he would start to disappoint himself when it didn't happen. To have Shinichi say that encouraged him. Grabbing Conan he clutched the boy to his chest in a tight hug. After Conan escaped his clutches and regained his breath he glared at the teen but it didn't faze Heiji. He was on cloud nine.

"You know what? Forget I mentioned anything. I've obviously given you a bigger head or something. Anyways weren't we heading somewhere to eat?"

Heiji snorted and stood up shaking his legs out. "Talk all you want but you aren't going to be able to wipe the grin off my face today." He neatly dodged the kick aimed at his shin and moved out of reach. "Well hurry up I'm starving."

No they weren't dating and Shinichi would still have to struggle through the pain but in time he would heal and maybe then Heiji would have a chance. No matter what, Conan would always have a friend guarding his back and watching over him.

 _ **So it was fun typing this up since I wrote this story over a year ago. While the writing wasn't terrible I still changed a lot. I'm pretty happy with this chapter and I'll try and get the next one up very soon. Reviews always help!**_


	2. The Babysitter

_**So here's the next chapter to my story. I meant to update this a lot sooner but life kept getting in the way. I'm going to try and update the third and final chapter before the weeks over but we shall see.**_

Chapter 2: Babysitter

A few months had passed since the phone call and Hattori's confession. Shinichi's calls to Ran had become less frequent but he still tried calling once a week. Their conversations had been awkward and forced in the beginning but they were finally becoming more natural. He would even ask about Eisuke now. She would still yell at him and ask when he was finally coming home and Shinichi realized this might be for the better. Of course when she finally brought Eisuke over to the agency after telling her father and Conan they were dating, Conan had pulled him away to have a private chat. Conan remembered the pale, worried look on the guy's face but determination shined in his eyes. He had told Eisuke in no uncertain terms that if the boy ever hurt Ran nobody would ever see him again. He'd taken it a step farther and even described one possible way to kill him and not have the body found. Eisuke had nodded his head so quickly he almost toppled himself. Conan had smiled and asked him to take care of her then walked off. It was later that Eisuke confided that he had been afraid that he had destroyed their friendship and had felt like he stabbed Conan, or really Shinichi, in the back. Conan quickly assured him that he was fine with it and it had been Ran's choice anyway. Eisuke came over more often after that and seeing how Ran's behavior changed whenever he was around helped Shinichi heal. She was the happiest he'd ever seen her in a long while and he refused to take that from her.

On the other hand, Conan hadn't seen Hattori since he'd left which was the morning after his confession. They talked on the phone a little but the conversations were pretty short and neither brought up what happened. Even then, Hattori had hesitated at mentioning Ran but that was fine. It wasn't really unusual to not see each other considering how far apart they lived and Hattori had school. Conan did miss hanging out with him though. Besides the fact that he tired of acting like a child, he could be himself around Hattori. His fellow detective understood him in a way nobody else could. Even though Shinichi had only been friends with one person his own age, Ran was the only one who could handle getting close to him, Hattori had quickly butted into his life in that headstrong way of his and Conan was much better for it.

Currently Conan was sitting on the couch and watching Ran run about frantically. It was Friday afternoon and she had been invited to spend the weekend at one of Sonoko's summer homes. They had been hoping for it to just be the girls but Kogoro was gone for the weekend as well, he was actually spending quality time with his wife for once and Ran couldn't be more over the moon about it, and Agasa had gone on a trip with Ai. Since she couldn't leave the seven year old by himself for a couple days, he hated being stuck as Conan sometimes, Ran was forced to bring him as well. Sonoko wouldn't be pleased. He could already hear her disappointed rant and pointed comments. Ran was currently trying to make sure everything was ready before they left. Hearing a knock coming from the front door, Ran went to answer it.

"I'm sorry but we're closed for…"

"Hey it's me! Can I come in?"

Heiji stood there as Ran just stared at him. The gears in her head were turning.

"How long are you here for Hattori?"

Confused, Heiji answered, "Until Sunday afternoon. I was hoping I could stay here for two nights if that's alright?"

Ran promptly ushered him into the house. She disappeared into another room then came out with some bags. Moving to the door, she grabbed Heiji's hand before dropping a set of keys into it. She said goodbye to the both of them after reminding Heiji to lock up and then fled. Heiji just stood there dumbfounded. Turning to the boy on the couch he grew annoyed at the smirk Conan was trying to hide.

"Oi Kudo, what just happened?"

"You apparently just volunteered to 'babysit' me for the weekend." Conan explained the situation to Hattori. When the Osakan started laughing Conan had to fight the urge to kick the teen.

"Aw don't worry kid! I'll take great care of you!" Why did Conan decide not to kick him again? Right he was comfy on the couch. He'd kick him later. After all it seems he had a whole weekend to choose a good moment.

"So Hattori, why are you here?"

"I came to visit of course! I finally got a break so I hopped on the earliest train here. Seems like my timing was perfect. Now it's just you and me for the next couple of days."

The implications of that finally hit Conan and he started grinning. For a whole weekend he didn't have to put on a mask. He could be Shinichi without fear.

Heiji observed Conan and noticed the way he lit up when he mentioned they would be alone. He had seen the dulled look in his eyes but now they were bright and shining. Seems Heiji really did have perfect timing. If he had known Conan was that stressed from playing a kid he would have given him a break sooner. He found himself cursing the distance between them and Conan's inability to ask for help when the burden became too much. Well he was here now and that's what really counted.

"So since I'm here what do you want to do?"

"Why don't you start by putting you bag in the room?"

"Heh forgot I was carrying it. Just a minute." He went into Conan and Kogoro's room to drop off his clothes. Leaving the room he found Conan standing by the front door.

"You coming?" Conan strolled out of the agency and Heiji found himself irritated. Stupid cocky kid. He followed the seven year old just barely remembering to lock the door on his way out.

They ended up at a small cafe to eat a late lunch. Heiji noticed Conan eyeing the coffee but in the end ordered juice. He asked him about it.

"If I ordered coffee it would draw attention and they may outright refuse me. Plus you would get some nasty looks for allowing a child to drink it." Disappointment seeped from his tone and expression.

"You can get some coffee when we get back to the agency. I can help you make it." Heiji could swear that sparkles appeared behind the kid at his offer. His heart skipped a beat. Shinichi didn't seem to realize the effect he had on the teen. To save himself he decided to change the subject.

"So how is Ran doing?" And immediately he felt like kicking himself. Fortunately he saw a soft smile form and even though Conan's eyes were a little downcast, he noted a lack of despair and heartbreak. As Conan told him about everything that happened after they…sort of broke up, Heiji realized the kid had needed someone to talk to about this. He needed for someone to know how he felt and Heiji made sure to be a good listener. He noticed Conan perking up as he went on and he even laughed with Heiji when he told the story of him threatening Eisuke.

"You should have seen how pale his face went! I almost thought I'd have to restart his heart."

Heiji was clutching his sides while he tried to keep his voice down. "I almost can't believe you did that. It must have been worse for him since it came from the mouth of a child!"

Conan would have commented but he noticed they were getting strange looks so he decided it was time for them to leave. They finished eating, payed the bill, then left. They decided to walk around and discuss cases they solved recently. Eventually they made their way back to the Mouri Detective Agency.

As soon as they got back in Conan stared up at Heiji with those goddamned puppy eyes. He understood what the guy wanted but fuck did he have to look so cute? Heiji started imagining how a full-grown Shinichi would look with the expression but had to immediately shut the thought down. Forcing his blush down he moved to the kitchen to make the shrunken detective's coffee. He heard moving around before the sound of the television could be heard. The volume was low so he couldn't tell what was on but he doubted the boy was really watching it. The coffee machine beeped declaring the black brew to be done. Before Heiji could even take a step a little boy wearing glasses had teleported to right next to his legs. He glanced down in shock as the little boy started tugging on his pants.

Hattori wasn't moving so Conan decided to snap him out of his daze. "Heiji-niisan pick me up!" Hattori snorted at the childish voice and glared at the boy who smiled innocently with his arms out to be picked up.

Heiji shivered, creeped out by his little boy act but picked him up and put him on the counter. He grabbed him a cup and anything else his royal shortness asked for. "Geez coffee addict slow down!" Heiji exclaimed while watching the boy gulp down the brown liquid. Heiji had an image flash into his head of a person lost in the desert who'd stumbled upon an oasis. He had to contain his giggles. Conan finished his first cup with a content sigh before making another. He then asked Heiji to put everything away before hopping off the counter. Settling down in the living room, Conan sipped at his coffee while Heiji flipped through channels. Heiji hopped Conan wouldn't try for a third cup because he doubted the child's body could keep up with all that caffeine.

They sat and watched nonsense for a little while before they started getting hungry. That had been out for a while talking so it wasn't much of a surprise. Deciding now was a good time for food, Heiji headed back to the kitchen.

"Hey Hattori. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to cook dinner for us."

A pause. "You can cook?" The disbelief oozed from his voice.

"I'll have you know I'm a fine cook!"

"Kazuha taught you, didn't she?"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"I bet you were so bad she decided to teach you just so that you didn't accidentally poison yourself." Silence met his response.

"Look I'm cooking us dinner so shut up and be grateful."

"Yes oh master chef." Sarcasm. Conan could hear growling come from the kitchen. He left Hattori alone, he wouldn't put it past the teen to mess with his food for revenge, and turned to the news. A while later the smell of curry was filling up the house and Conan's stomach was grumbling. Finally the chef himself came out carrying two plates. He set them both down on the coffee table before going back for drinks. Conan himself asked for milk while Hattori grabbed water and then they dug in. Conan loved it and was surprised that the other detective could make his favorite dish so well. He made sure to thank Hattori, though he didn't praise him too much. Didn't want to overly inflate his ego, which was ironic coming from Shinichi. Conan offered to do the dishes but Hattori claimed that since he was imposing on them, ignoring the fact that he actually was helping, he did the dishes. Settling back in the living room they decided to try and find a decent movie to watch.

They managed to find a mystery movie and both agreed it could be entertaining. With that said, Heiji ended up watching Conan more than the movie. The boy was focused on the movie so Heiji didn't believe his staring was noticed. Conan would shout at the screen saying things like "He's obviously the one who did it," or "Behind you!" He seemed captivated by the movie and Heiji abused his lack of attention. They were around murders so much that it was easy to forget that they were both still kids. Sure they were almost adults but they were still so young compared to the others who tended to surround them (police officers). Heiji managed to live a decently normal life but Kudo didn't have that option anymore. It was ripped away from him. He didn't get respect like he used to and his words carried less weight now. He'd managed to build up his reputation a little but he was still only smart _for a child_ in the eyes of others. How often had Mouri or someone else hit him on the head or thrown him around? Kudo didn't deserve the way they treated him but he didn't have much choice. When he wasn't busy getting underfoot at a crime scene he was hiding from the people who'd stolen his life from him. Sure Kudo let down his guard but that one mistake was costing him everything! It wasn't fair! Noticing his clenched fists and tense posture he threw a glance at Conan before relaxing. For now he would focus on the movie.

After the movie finished, Conan animatedly described how he realized who the criminal was in the very beginning. Heiji nodded along, throwing in a few of his own comments or observations, but started noticing the boy's yawning becoming more frequent. It got to the point where the boy's head would drop down before he would jerk himself up. When this started happening a few times in a row Heiji was reminded of bobble heads. With that mental image now stuck in his brain he decided it was time for bed.

Conan protested when Hattori picked him up but realized he didn't have the energy to fight so became limp. Reaching Mouri's room he set the boy down and pulled out the futon for him. Grabbing some blankets for himself he went back out to the living room to get the couch comfortable while the boy got ready for bed. Conan set up his blankets and was ready to crawl under them when the door creaked open. He glanced up to see Hattori smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry just wanted to say goodnight, Kudo."

"Goodnight Hattori." The door closed and Conan got comfortable before falling asleep.

Only to be woken up again a short time later. He didn't know how much time had passed but he slept lightly so the door opening again woke him up. He thought about asking Hattori what he wanted but decided if the Osakan really needed his help he could 'wake' him up. He was too tired anyways and Hattori could just be grabbing something from his bags. To his surprise, Hattori came and sat down next to him. About to open his eyes, he froze when he felt the other's hand in his hair, using his fingers to comb through it. Conan decided to pretend to sleep. And he was not blushing!

Even though it was a whisper, Conan could hear everything. "You know Kudo you really can be frustrating. You never let anybody in and you always take everything onto yourself. You do your best to keep yourself together and try to never hurt others while everyone else hurts you. You're stuck in that body but you never let it hold you back, sometimes getting injured in the process. I know life's not fair but life is being especially cruel to you. No matter what though, I will always have your back whether you realize it or not. I promise if you ever call for me I will come and I will never leave you alone. You are not alone and I really hope you can see that. Really," a quiet chuckle, "it's no surprise I fell in love with you. I enjoy our conversations and you understand me in a way others can't. You can see right through me but I don't know if you understand that I can read you just as easily. You put up a wall but I know how you think. I can see right through you and it hurts to see you in so much pain." A sigh. "But that's just how you are and I wouldn't really change it. I hope that one day you willingly let me in and take some of the burden off your shoulders. I can help carry the weight if only you would let me." He stayed quiet after that and just brushed through Conan's hair. They both stayed like this for a while and Conan found himself being lulled to sleep by the gentle movements. Hattori must have finished contemplating things, or was afraid of waking the younger boy up, because he got up and left the room leaving the phantom touch of his hand in Conan's hair. Before falling asleep, Conan sleepily responded.

"You're wrong Hattori. Life isn't being cruel to me. I got to meet you after all."

 _ **That's two chapters down now just one more to go. I hope everyone enjoyed this story and please review. It really does help to know somebody cares even if it is a critique.**_


	3. To Never Let Go

_**I present to you the last chapter in Always Here. This chapter is going to be quite long compared to the others. I was going to split it but it would be too uneven and it works better to keep it all together. Rated T for language and slight sexual content.**_

Chapter 3: To Never Let Go

Shinichi was terrified. He was standing outside the Mouri Detective Agency. All he had to do was knock on the door and she would come. His childhood friend Ran. Gathering his courage he made his move then waited. He heard footsteps coming closer and it took all his willpower not to flee. He had to do this and now was the perfect opportunity. Ran opened the door with a smile though he could see the sorrow lingering in her eyes and felt a pang of guilt. He would try to fix it but he might just make things worse. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"Shinichi?"

"What? Has it been so long that you forgot my face?" A watery smile followed and she flung herself at him. Wrapping his arms around her, he chastised, "You're not crying now are you?" He got a nice hit for that, though considering this was a karate champion it could have been much worse.

"Stupid Shinichi! Why would I cry over you?" A distinct wetness in his shirt belied her words. He chose to ignore it.

"May I come in?" He politely inquired.

She pushed away from him, nearly causing him to stumble, while wiping her eyes. "Of course! Sorry about that it's just that I don't see you often anymore. So how long are you here for this time?" She had turned around towards the kitchen when Shinichi's words froze her.

"For good." Turning to glance back at him she smiled sadly.

"You say that now but before I know it you'll be rushing back out that door to work on your precious case." There was no bitterness in her tone just resignation. This was the truth in her eyes, learned from experience.

"I finished the case." Now she was staring and he could see the hope dawning in her expression but she was still guarded. "This whole time I was away I was working on one giant case to bring down a syndicate. I did it. All the loose ends were tied up and now there's nothing keeping me away."

Suddenly she spun away from him before slapping her cheeks. Her back straightened and she faced him. She had a grin that made her whole face shine but it was her words that really hit him. "Welcome home Shinichi."

His voice was a little choked up as he responded. "Ah. I'm home." He would have to thank Hattori later; he would've hissed this reaction if he had stayed as Conan. And then the tears started. This time Ran wasn't the only one crying. Though his crying wasn't the same as hers. She was a crybaby after all but even he couldn't stop a few tears from leaking out. He still couldn't believe They were gone. It had taken a couple of weeks afterwards to clean up the mess and for Haibara to make a cure. This time it was permanent. He had been in his original body for a few days to make sure there were no side effects or complications. Thankfully, Haibara had given him a clean bill of health. Before all that he had called his mother to 'take' Conan back to America, which was why he had seen sorrow in her eyes earlier. She missed her little brother.

"Have you eaten yet? Dad's gone until late tonight and Conan…went back home. I already started dinner if you want to join me?"

Shinichi know all this already, he had called as Conan and for once used his bowtie to imitate the child's voice, so that he could surprise her. "I would love to join you. I accidentally ended up skipping lunch." He had been nervous about this visit.

"Mou, Shinichi! You need to take better care of yourself." She lightly swatted him but the relief in her eyes gave her away. She's lonely. That realization caused more guilt but he was back so he could make it right. She deserved the truth and he planned on telling her. Hopefully she wouldn't hate him afterwards.

Dinner was a light affair with Ran telling him about school and how their classmates and teachers were doing. He mentioned he was going back the next day and she promised they would walk together. He agreed with her. When dinner was over he bullied her into letting him do the dishes. When he finished, he went back to the living room with two steaming cups of tea.

She must have noticed the sudden serious air about him because she questioned, "Shinichi?"

"Look Ran, I'm going to tell you about the case I've been working on. I'm going to try and not leave anything out. This is going to be very hard for the both of us so I need you to let me get through it first. I need you to hear everything out before you react." She seemed stunned but schooled her featured and nodded. So he began. He started at the very beginning and went through everything chronologically. Haibara had already given permission to reveal her identity before he could even ask her. Somehow she knew he wouldn't want to keep any information away. Ran played the part of an excellent listener, only interrupting a few times if she was confused or wanted something clarified, but he knew she would have her say when it was over. He told everything up to this very point in time. It was summarized but she got the main points. Finished, he watched her. Her eyes were covered by her bangs and the tea was left untouched on the table. He noticed her hands shaking. Finally she spoke.

"Get out." His world shattered. No. He was not losing his best friend. He tried to speak but her head shot up and he could see: she was furious. "Get out. Now."

He called out, "Ran," as he stood up slowly. Apparently that wasn't allowed.

"No! I don't want to hear your excuses I just want you to leave!" She shouted angrily as she stood up looking ready for a fight. Backing away he held his hand up in surrender but she still stalked towards him. "Do you know how much I worried about you?! All those nights spent wondering if you were okay or if you were even eating properly? The whole time you were here, masquerading as a child, for over a year! And now after deceiving me for all that time you come in here and act like I should forgive you. Fuck you! Get out!" He made it to the door but refused to budge as she got closer. He had to get something out now before she continued her shouting.

"Just say the word and I'm gone." She started to growl but he continued. "I don't mean just right now. If you tell me you never want to see me again, I'll disappear. From school, from your life, from this town. I won't contact you and I won't show my face near here ever again. All you have to do is say the word and I'm gone." He had to clarify this now.

All the fight seemed to leave her and she found herself slumping forward like a puppet with its strings cut. Shinichi was half afraid she would fall but didn't dare touch her in fear of inciting a second wind. "You would really disappear if I asked you to?"

Pain laced his tone, his voice dripping with the sound of his heart breaking. "Yes."

She was glaring at him again. "You self-sacrificing idiot! You fucking pompous…do you realize how much it hurts to hear you say that? Do you know how hard it is to hate you when you're in pain as well?! Of course I don't want you to leave, I just got you back!" Her voice quieted. "Just give me some time to process all this. I'll be by your house tomorrow morning, usual time, to pick you up."

"I'm sorry, Ran. And thank you." He gave her a quick hug before leaving. Even if he broke promises she would not. He would see her in the morning.

The next morning he made sure to be ready before Ran arrived. He was going to go out of his way not to aggravate her today. When the bell rang he breathed in deeply before walking out with a smile. Only for it to fall as soon as he saw her face. She was still angry and upset. The whole walk to school was quiet and he didn't dare break it in fear of retribution. As they walked to class there was a huge commotion about **the** Kudo Shinichi returning and by the time they managed to fight their way to the classroom he wasn't surprised when she stormed over to her seat. He noticed that she still said good morning to others so she was trying to act normal. However, Sonoko made a huge deal about the obvious animosity between them and by the end of the day rumors had spread. The most popular one seemed to be that he caught Ran and Eisuke making out and he supposedly hadn't known about them yet. Shinichi had seen Eisuke with his head down, running off to hide. He noticed Ran follow and figured he would walk home alone.

The rest of the week followed the same pattern. Ran would show up for a tense walk to school, he got teased about how Ran was angry with him, "What did you do to Eisuke?" and he would walk home alone. It was finally Saturday, almost a week since he told her the truth, and he was feeling the strain. It was hard having one of your closest friends ignoring you plus he had to catch up on everything he missed. He planned on spending the day working on schoolwork as soon as the coffee finished brewing. The best part about getting his body back was having the freedom to drink coffee. He dearly missed it. Just as he sat down with his cup of caffeine, there was a ringing coming from the front gate. Sighing he stood up, taking his coffee with him, to go investigate who was visiting this early in the morning on a weekend. His eyes widened when he saw the figure standing at the gate. He went out to meet and let them in after he set his cup down.

"Hey Ran. What do you need?" He hoped she wasn't here to kick him.

"I want to talk and I figured you would be awake already. Is it alright if I come in?" She didn't seem violent. Or angry for that matter.

"Sure. Come on in." He held the door open for her before entering the house himself.

They ended up at the library, him with his coffee and her a nice hot cup of tea. After they settled they played the silence game. Just before he decided to break it she spoke up.

"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of being angry at you. I understood you had your reasons but you still hurt me. It must have hurt you too. I just got you back finally and all I've been doing is ignoring you. I'm sorry for that and I'm here to say that I want my best friend back." Shinichi noticed that she didn't say she forgave him but he shrugged it off. This was a start and he was more than willing to take the olive branch. "Just no more secrets, okay? No big ones anyways." He nodded and she stepped forward to hug him. It was a little awkward with the drinks but they managed. "I missed you Shinichi."

"I missed being able to talk to you as myself. There were so many times I almost told you but everyone kept telling me not to so I listened. Then I found out you were dating Eisuke and I thought it was better for you not to know. You were so happy and I refused to take that away from you."

Ran growled. "I could hit you Kudo Shinichi! Well you're here now and everything is fine. I'm glad you told me the truth about everything."

"You deserved it after all you went through with me and Conan." He let out a soft sigh. "Now I need to deal with Hattori." The last part wasn't meant for her ears but she heard it anyways.

"What about Hattori?" Her eyes were curious as she looked up. They were still so close it was impossible to hide the blush that spread across his cheeks.

"Nothing! I just haven't mentioned to him that I'm back yet." He couldn't look directly at her.

"Shi-ni-chi!" She had to know what caused her friend to react like that. She could see the moment Shinichi decided to just tell her.

"When you called to tell me about Eisuke," a small pause, "Hattori and 'Conan' had just solved a case. I was…" looking at her expectant face, he chose to continue, "devastated." He cupped her cheek when he saw her expression. "Everything I told you on the phone was true. I just want you happy. I've seen you and him together and you shine." A sad smile. "I'm fine. I struggled to deal with it at the time but I've accepted it."

"What does Hattori have to do with all of this?" She was trying to get him back on track.

"Hattori helped me through my breakdown and got me back on my feet. Then…he may have confessed that he was in love with me. He's waiting for me to get my body back before he tries to make a move." His blush had returned.

"And how do you feel about him?" She had stepped away from him a while ago and now she was studying him with a serious expression.

He fidgeted. "I don't want to use him as a rebound. I did tell him that maybe one day I could return his feelings. I just don't want to hurt him. He's helped me in so many ways and he's my best male friend. I want to give him a chance but what happens if I do and find I'm not interested in him like that? He truly does love me. What do I do?"

Shinichi was looking at Ran like a lost puppy. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Even if he hadn't realized it yet she understood. He _did_ love Hattori. Giggling to herself she felt lighter. She had been worried about him and when she heard his reaction to her news she felt guilty. It was her fault. Seeing him now though she was delighted with the knowledge that he was in love with someone else. He'd moved on. Of course she would have a talk with Hattori about what will happen if he hurts or pressures Shinichi into anything. She wouldn't hurt him too much though unless he really deserved it. Hattori was a friend too but Shinichi came first. She would make sure Hattori regretted it though. With a grin, she came up with a plan.

Heiji was tired. It was Saturday afternoon, bordering on evening, and he was ready to call it a day. He had been running errands for his mom since she was out of town. His father spent the whole day at the precinct and was planning on meeting up with his mom tonight. Heiji really didn't want to think much on the implications. So with the house to himself he was planning on relaxing. At least until he heard a knock on the door. With a loud exhale, he went to see who was here. It couldn't be Kazuha because she was supposed to be home studying, though it wouldn't surprise him if it was her. She would probably have some excuse to hide the fact she was asking for help. Snorting, he opened the door only to stare wide-eyed at his visitor. There was no way Kudo Shinichi could be standing at his doorstep. And dressed like that! This had to be a dream. Kudo was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue shirt that brought out the eyes that were currently staring at him. Heiji noticed the male was also carrying a duffel bag but didn't really think much on it because **Kudo Shinichi** was standing on his doorstep looking, in Heiji's opinion, fucking hot. The shirt managed to cling to the teen's body while at the same time being loose enough to hide his figure a bit. It didn't help that the jeans hugged Kudo's thighs showing off the muscles he got from practicing soccer. Heiji suddenly realized he had been staring for far too long and there might have been a small amount of drool leaking out of his gapping mouth (if anyone asked he would claim he was hungry). Snapping himself out of his daze he noticed the cool gaze being sent his way though the slight blush betrayed a small crack in the mask.

"Done checking me out?" Even though Kudo sounded calm, Heiji could tell the boy was embarrassed. Flushing, Heiji asked his own question.

"Is it really you?" He wasn't quite willing to trust his eyes.

"Yeah it's me. May I come in?" He made a gesture to the house and Heiji quickly apologized before moving aside. Kudo entered and glanced around, heading to the living room. He had been here as Conan but things must look different at a teenager's level. Heiji asked if the other wanted anything to drink but Kudo declined. Instead he asked, "Are either of your parents home?"

"No both of them are gone, probably for the weekend. You don't' have to worry about them overhearing anything." He could see the other relax. "So what's happened? And why are you in your real body?" He was worried. Something big must have occurred for Kudo to come in his real form. He also found himself focusing more on the bag.

Kudo smiled. "Don't worry. Everything is fine. Actually I came to show you that I'm fine." This only added to his confusion. "This body is permanent. Conan is gone for good as is the Black Organization. Well mostly anyways. A few members escaped but we got all of the higher ups including Gin." Heiji could see the satisfied smirk but was stuck processing everything. Kudo was back? For good?

"What about nee-chan?"

Shninchi's smirk fell into a small grimace. "I informed her of everything. Not a thing was left out."

Heiji felt like his eyes would pop out of his head. "How did she take it?!"

"She kicked me out of the agency. Then she ignored my existence." Before Heiji could move to hug him, Kudo continued. "Then today she came to my house. She's not pleased but she doesn't want to push me away. She's still coming to terms with what's happened but she wants to try and go back to normal for the most part. But I came to see you not talk about Ran." Heiji just knew his face was turning pink at the statement. Stupid freaking hormones.

"Are you planning on staying the night? You have the bag which I figure contains clothes. It's kind of late to be heading back to Beika plus I doubt you came over just for a few minutes just to tell me everything. What's the real reason you're here?" Heiji could be reading things wrong but he was almost certain Kudo was keeping something from him.

Shinichi nodded in agreement. "You're right of course. First I wanted to ask if it was alright for me to spend the night. This is very last minute so if you're busy tomorrow or tonight I can easily stay at a hotel in the area." The unspoken message that Kudo's family wasn't exactly poor was understood by Heiji. Which was true enough. Kudo's family may not be as rich as Ran's friend Suzuki but with a famous author and actress as parents he was definitely part of the upper class society. It was easy to forget this though since Kudo rarely threw his name or wealth around. Heiji knew it was because he wanted to make a name for himself, a sentiment that Heiji understood perfectly.

"No you can stay here. I'm not busy so it's no problem. It'll be fun to be able to hang out with you and not get weird stares."

"That's actually the real reason I'm here. When Ran called me that one time," Heiji didn't need to ask which call, "you cheered me up. You snapped me back to my senses when I was close to giving up on everything. You've always had my back and looked out for me even when I tried to push you away. You've encouraged me and were my shoulder to lean on when everything got to be too much. I wanted to thank you. More than that I made a promise to you. If you are still interested, I was hoping we could possibly go on a date together." Kudo was flushed bright red and wouldn't face him. That was just fine with Heiji because if he thought he had been slow to process things before his brain was at a standstill now. Kudo wanted to go on a date. With Heiji! Kudo must be nervous because he hand was continuously brushing through his hair. "I did say that I could possibly fall in love with you. I've had enough time to think about things and I figured a date would be the best way to figure out how I feel about you."

Shinichi saw the blush slowly build and intensify on Hattori's face as his words processed and he couldn't help but think the Osakan appeared cute. The problem was that he couldn't tell if it was the 'I can't wait to tease him later and/or use this for blackmail' or if it was the 'he's adorable and I want to see him like that more often' kind of cute. That's why he was going on this date. Hopefully he could sort out his feelings and either let Hattori down easy or try to be something more. For now though he was content to watch him blush.

This was too much for Heiji. His brain had officially fried. Kudo wanted to give him a chance. He couldn't contain the blush that rose unbidden on his cheeks but he would do whatever it took to keep the idiotic grim from bursting onto his face. He's already aware that he's head over heels for the other boy but this was ridiculous. He might as well be putty with how easy it was for Kudo to manipulate him. He may not be intending to but it didn't change the fact that if Kudo asked him for anything he would do it no matter how much it might hurt himself. And damn if that didn't scare and thrill him at the same time.

"If you're not that interested we don't have to…"

Heiji interrupted him quickly. "Don't you dare retract that offer Kudo! Of course I fucking want to!" Goddamnit! Heiji saw the smirk and realized he was being teased. Fucking Kudo! He would pay for that. Now he had to distract himself because yes he would very much like to fuck Kudo but if he didn't control his hormones he would have a very noticeable problem. He tried to focus on what Kudo was saying.

"…figured if you have time we could go tomorrow so that we have time to plan…"

"Fuck that!" Startled, Kudo stared at him. "If you aren't busy let's go now."

"Are you sure?" At Heiji's deadpanned expression Kudo shrugged. "Just asking."

"I'm not wasting this opportunity. Have you eaten dinner yet?" Kudo shook his head in the negative and Heiji felt a grin that would put the Cheshire cat to shame spread across his face. "I know a great place we can have a nice dinner, they owe me a favor, and then we can go see a movie or do something else afterwards. Sound good?" With a sigh Kudo nodded but Heiji had seen his lips quirk into a small smile. "Alright just let me call Kazuha and get changed real fast."

Suddenly Heiji saw Kudo straighten. "If you already have plans with Kazuha we can go another time. I know this is all short notice so if you need to…"

"You need to check you hearing because I already told you that I'm not letting you get away. I'm just calling Kazuha to tell her about you being back and Ran. Then we can go."

"Oh. Sorry. I'll wait here then."

Heiji gave a sharp nod then rushed to his room before pulling out his phone. Some time ago, Kazuha had overheard him talking to Kudo and when confronted he ended up telling her everything. She was terrifying when angry! As a result she had been frustrated at having to keep things a secret from Ran but understood the necessity of it. For a while, she would glare at Conan but Heiji managed to convince her that Kudo was a victim as well. He might have also let it slip that he didn't want the person he was in love with to die. That had caught her attention real quick and afterwards he could see her studying Conan with calculating eyes. Obviously Kudo had been less than pleased but there was nothing he could do to change it so he reluctantly accepted that Kazuha had discovered his secret. Not before having a long discussion with her of course. Now she was the person Heiji went to when he wanted to talk about his love for the shrunken detective. He could hear the annoyance in her tone when she answered his call.

"What do you want Heiji? If you remember I'm busy studying and I don't need any distractions."

"I need your help." That grabbed her attention.

"What's wrong? You never ask for my help." She was trying to hide it but she was worried. Cursing himself he settled her fears.

"Kudo asked me on a date and I don't know what to wear." He didn't care if he sounded like a girl he wanted everything to go perfectly.

"He…wait what? I thought he was stuck as Conan?" Heiji explained everything he had learned.

"You can talk to Ran now about everything. She probably knows more than I do at this point."

He could hear the relief. Heiji knew keeping this secret had been stressful for her. "Thank you. We got off track though. He asked you out on a date? When is it? What do you plan to do?" She was teasing him but he didn't have the time.

"He's waiting for me in the living room right now and I'm not sure what I should wear!" All he heard was silence but the anger would come in 3…2…1…

"You _idiot_! Tell me that beforehand." He had to switch hands because his ear had gone temporarily deaf. "You know those dark skinny jeans you have? Also the skintight green camouflage shirt?"

"Yeah?"

"Wear those. I'm assuming you want this to be casual so you can wear regular tennis shoes though try for some nice ones. That should be just fine for tonight."

"Isn't that kind of…much? This is a test date and I don't want to come on too strongly."

"That's exactly why you should wear the outfit, stupid. Those jeans hug your ass and accentuate your legs. The shirt will show off your chest and compliment your eyes and skin tone. This is a perfect way to test how he sees you physically. If he reacts to your outfit then you know it's not a lost cause. If he doesn't then he could either be hiding it or it could mean you just have to work a little more for him to see you as a man. This outfit will be a perfect way to gauge where you stand with him in a sexual way."

Heiji nodded dumbly, not sure how to respond. Realizing she couldn't see this he said, "O-Okay."

"I want all the details later. Have fun and remember to wear a condom!"

"K-Kazuha!" He spluttered but it didn't matter. The girl had already hung up. He'd wasted enough time and Kudo was probably going to come soon to check on him. Quickly he changed into the outfit Kazuha chose and grabbed his keys and wallet before heading back to the living room. Kudo must have heard him coming because he was standing and facing the hallway Heiji had come from. He watched Kudo as he took in what he was wearing. Interesting. It seemed like he was trying to hide it and Heiji came up with an idea. Walking towards the door he could hear Kudo close behind. He 'accidentally' dropped his keys and bent down at the waist to reach down and retrieve them, making sure Kudo had a nice view of his ass. Glancing under his arm he got a glimpse of Kudo's face before the other claimed he wanted to go to the bathroom before they left. As Kudo left the room Heiji grinned, certain of what he'd seen. Kudo had a nosebleed.

Shinichi had been following relatively close to Hattori so when the other pulled off this maneuver Hattori's ass was right in front of him. Just one step forward and he could press into that ass and damnit he had to leave. He made up an excuse to flee the room before heading to the bathroom, feeling the blood slowly drip down from his nose. "Well I guess that solves the cute problem then." He mumbled to himself as he wiped the blood off his face. Keeping up appearances he flushed the bloody paper down the toilet before washing his hands. Putting a mask in place, he headed towards the front door acting as if nothing had happened. They left for their date.

The date went really well. The restaurant Heiji chose was a nice place without being a formal attire kind of establishment. They both enjoyed themselves there. They sat and chatted and at the end an argument broke out as to who would pay before Kudo claimed that since he suggested the date he would pay. Heiji just let him be but promised himself that he would pay next time. If a next time even happened. Afterwards, the two detectives checked out a theatre and found that a horror movie was playing that Kudo had been wanting to watch. A little more than two hours later found the teens exiting the building while laughing. The walk home, it was getting pretty late after all, was spent dissecting the film and commenting on how the fake blood and gruesome deaths were unrealistic. Talking and joking around with Kudo was amazing and Heiji was ecstatic. He really enjoyed the date and he felt like Kudo might feel the same. More than that he was happy to find that Kudo didn't mind a second date.

The trip back to Hattori's was peaceful and Shinichi was grateful. It's not like he believed that he was cursed but he did have a knack for finding bodies. Or them finding him as the case may be. Fortunately, the date had gone smoothly without them running into a case. Some might say it was a miracle. Shinichi decided not to question it. When they got back inside Shinichi asked for some coffee and while Hattori was in the kitchen he thought about the date. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of Hattori. Now that he was really paying attention he noticed Hattori's eyes light up when he was around. It reminded him of the light in Ran's eyes when Eisuke was around. Hearing that Hattori loved him and actually witnessing the effect he had on the other boy was two very different things. Shinichi himself found he enjoyed having the other around. The clothes were another story. Hattori was drop-dead (no pun intended) gorgeous and even though he had been aware his friend was handsome before it had never hit him as hard as it did today. More than once he'd caught himself watching the way the shirt shifted on the other boy's torso and the way the jeans hugged his body accentuating some very nice features. Shinichi realized he might not have to fall in love. He already had.

Heiji came out with the drinks, just water for himself, and decided to sit on the couch next to Kudo. Lost in thought he almost missed Kudo's movement. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other teen leaning so he turned to face him resulting in their lips meeting. Two pairs of eyes widened but neither pulled away. When Heiji realized Kudo wasn't going to move away he deepened the kiss. Bringing his hand up he cupped Kudo's cheek and leaned into the kiss. He'd been curious for so long about what it would be like to kiss the other and how the other would taste that he got caught up in the moment. Pushing Kudo down, Heiji kept their lips locked as he laid himself over the Detective of the East. He could feel Kudo gripping the sides of Heiji's shirt. Kudo opened his mouth to Heiji and he took full advantage of the opportunity. He slipped his tongue into Kudo's mouth and really tasted him. Heiji held back a snort. He should have guessed the other would taste of coffee. Heiji's hand moved up to Kudo's hair while his mouth traveled down the other's neck. He licked and sucked loving the sounds escaping from Kudo. Kudo shifted his head so that Heiji had better access and he couldn't get enough. The other was panting and the tan boy realized he would have stop soon or risk going further than either of them were ready for. Even so, he didn't want to stop just yet. He decided to try nipping at Kudo's earlobe.

Kudo's hands on his side tightened. "He-heiji." He panted and oh dear lord that went straight to his groin. He forced himself to pull away but made the mistake of glancing down at Kudo. The teen's face was flushed and he was panting lightly. His eyes had opened slowly after Heiji pulled away and the Osakan felt a shiver go down his spine. Kudo was studying him like a predator watched its prey. Heiji would freely admit, to himself in the safety of his own mind, that he wanted Kudo to fuck him. But not tonight. It was too early in the relationship for that and Kudo was still getting used to the idea. He didn't want to rush things; Kudo needed to be sure. Unwilling to separate from the other teen, Heiji dropped down so that he was laying on top of Kudo. The other's hands wrapped around his waist as if to accept his decision.

That action led to Heiji suddenly blurting out, "Sleep with me tonight." His face heated up and he resolutely refused to look at Kudo. He only meant he didn't want to be alone tonight but he refused to open his mouth again, afraid he'd only embarrass himself more.

"Okay," Heiji wasn't sure if Kudo was agreeing to cuddling or sex but either way he got off the teen. It was late so both were ready to go to bed and get some sleep. Kudo went into the guest room to change. Heiji changed into pajama pants but left himself shirtless. He normally slept in boxers but with Kudo joining him he wanted to be a little more covered. Kudo entered his room dressed the same as Heiji and he felt himself flushing again. He'd lost track of how much he'd blushed around the other tonight. He felt like some love-sick school girl. He couldn't help it though as he took in the sight of a shirtless Kudo. He didn't know the next time he'd get to see it. The teen didn't have a six-pack but you could still tell he was well muscled. Not sure what to do Heiji decided to just lay down and let the other half be the invitation for Kudo. He was facing away from the other but felt the bed dip as the other settled in. Heiji was tense as the sounds of their breathing filled the room. It was going to take forever to fall asleep if something didn't change. Then arms wrapped around him and pulled Heiji back until he was pressed against Kudo's naked chest. His heart was racing as he was spooned by none other than Kudo Shinichi. If this was a dream don't let him wake up. As the heat started seeping into his body Heiji felt himself relaxing. Eventually he stared to drift off until he finally fell asleep.

Shinichi decided to pull the other closer on a whim and was glad Hattori hadn't pushed him away. It felt right to have the other teen in his arms and one thing became clear to the teen before he drifted off. He was never letting go.

 _ **Thank you to everyone who reviewed my story! I'm sorry this took so long to get out but it's finally done! I really adore this story and I hope all of y'all enjoyed it just as much.**_


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